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A novel Geobacteraceae-specific outer membrane protein J (OmpJ) is essential for electron transport to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides in Geobacter sulfurreducens.

ABSTRACT: Metal reduction is thought to take place at or near the bacterial outer membrane and, thus, outer membrane proteins in the model dissimilatory metal-reducing organism Geobacter sulfurreducens are of interest to understand the mechanisms of Fe(III) reduction in the Geobacter species that are the predominant Fe(III) reducers in many environments. Previous studies have implicated periplasmic and outer membrane cytochromes in electron transfer to metals. Here we show that the most abundant outer membrane protein of G. sulfurreducens, OmpJ, is not a cytochrome yet it is required for metal respiration.When outer membrane proteins of G. sulfurreducens were separated via SDS-PAGE, one protein, designated OmpJ (outer membrane protein J), was particularly abundant. The encoding gene, which was identified from mass spectrometry analysis of peptide fragments, is present in other Geobacteraceae, but not in organisms outside this family. The predicted localization and structure of the OmpJ protein suggested that it was a porin. Deletion of the ompJ gene in G. sulfurreducens produced a strain that grew as well as the wild-type strain with fumarate as the electron acceptor but could not grow with metals, such as soluble or insoluble Fe(III) and insoluble Mn(IV) oxide, as the electron acceptor. The heme c content in the mutant strain was ca. 50% of the wild-type and there was a widespread loss of multiple cytochromes from soluble and membrane fractions. Transmission electron microscopy analyses of mutant cells revealed an unusually enlarged periplasm, which is likely to trigger extracytoplasmic stress response mechanisms leading to the degradation of periplasmic and/or outer membrane proteins, such as cytochromes, required for metal reduction. Thus, the loss of the capacity for extracellular electron transport in the mutant could be due to the missing c-type cytochromes, or some more direct, but as yet unknown, role of OmpJ in metal reduction.OmpJ is a putative porin found in the outer membrane of the model metal reducer G. sulfurreducens that is required for respiration of extracellular electron acceptors such as soluble and insoluble metals. The effect of OmpJ in extracellular electron transfer is indirect, as OmpJ is required to keep the integrity of the periplasmic space necessary for proper folding and functioning of periplasmic and outer membrane electron transport components. The exclusive presence of ompJ in members of the Geobacteraceae family as well as its role in metal reduction suggest that the ompJ sequence may be useful in tracking the growth or activity of Geobacteraceae in sedimentary environments.

SUBMITTER: Afkar E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1186022 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A novel Geobacteraceae-specific outer membrane protein J (OmpJ) is essential for electron transport to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides in Geobacter sulfurreducens.

Afkar Eman E Reguera Gemma G Schiffer Marianne M Lovley Derek R DR

BMC microbiology 20050706

<h4>Background</h4>Metal reduction is thought to take place at or near the bacterial outer membrane and, thus, outer membrane proteins in the model dissimilatory metal-reducing organism Geobacter sulfurreducens are of interest to understand the mechanisms of Fe(III) reduction in the Geobacter species that are the predominant Fe(III) reducers in many environments. Previous studies have implicated periplasmic and outer membrane cytochromes in electron transfer to metals. Here we show that the most ...[more]

PMID: 16000176

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Project description:At least five gene clusters in the Geobacter sulfurreducens genome encode putative "electron conduits" implicated in electron transfer across the outer membrane, each containing a periplasmic multiheme c-type cytochrome, integral outer membrane anchor, and outer membrane redox lipoprotein(s). Markerless single-gene-cluster deletions and all possible multiple-deletion combinations were constructed and grown with soluble Fe(III) citrate, Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides, and graphite electrodes poised at +0.24 V and -0.1 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). Different gene clusters were necessary for reduction of each electron acceptor. During metal oxide reduction, deletion of the previously described omcBC cluster caused defects, but deletion of additional components in an ?omcBC background, such as extEFG, were needed to produce defects greater than 50% compared to findings with the wild type. Deletion of all five gene clusters abolished all metal reduction. During electrode reduction, only the ?extABCD mutant had a severe growth defect at both redox potentials, while this mutation did not affect Fe(III) oxide, Mn(IV) oxide, or Fe(III) citrate reduction. Some mutants containing only one cluster were able to reduce particular terminal electron acceptors better than the wild type, suggesting routes for improvement by targeting specific electron transfer pathways. Transcriptomic comparisons between fumarate and electrode-based growth conditions showed all of these ext clusters to be constitutive, and transcriptional analysis of the triple-deletion strain containing only extABCD detected no significant changes in expression of genes encoding known redox proteins or pilus components. These genetic experiments reveal new outer membrane conduit complexes necessary for growth of G. sulfurreducens, depending on the available extracellular electron acceptor.IMPORTANCE Gram-negative metal-reducing bacteria utilize electron conduits, chains of redox proteins spanning the outer membrane, to transfer electrons to the extracellular surface. Only one pathway for electron transfer across the outer membrane of Geobacter sulfurreducens has been linked to Fe(III) reduction. However, G. sulfurreducens is able to respire a wide array of extracellular substrates. Here we present the first combinatorial genetic analysis of five different electron conduits via creation of new markerless deletion strains and complementation vectors. Multiple conduit gene clusters appear to have overlapping roles, including two that have never been linked to metal reduction. Another recently described cluster (ExtABCD) was the only electron conduit essential during electrode reduction, a substrate of special importance to biotechnological applications of this organism.

Project description:Whole-genome DNA microarray analysis of Geobacter sulfurreducens cells grown on Fe(III)-oxide or Mn(IV)-oxide versus cells grown on soluble Fe(III) citrate indicated that there were significant differences in transcription patterns during growth on the insoluble metal oxides compared to growth on soluble Fe(III). Many of the genes that appeared to be up-regulated during growth on the metal hydroxides were involved in electron transport. The most highly up-regulated genes for both conditions were omcS and omcT, which encode co-transcribed c-type cytochromes exposed on the outer surface of the cell that are known to be required for Fe(III) and Mn(IV)-oxide reduction. Other electron transport genes that were up-regulated on both insoluble metals included the gene coding for the outer membrane c-type cytochrome, OmcG, genes for the outer membrane proteins, OmpB and OmpC, and the gene that codes for the structural protein of electrically conductive pili, PilA. Genes that were up-regulated in cells grown on Fe(III)-oxide but not Mn(IV)-oxide, included outer membrane c-type cytochromes including OmcE, a putative DMSO reductase protein, and proteins from the cytochrome bc1 complex. Electron transport genes that were only up-regulated in Mn(IV)-oxide grown cells included the genes that code for the outer membrane c-type cytochromes, OmcZ and OmcB, the periplasmic c-type cytochrome, MacA, and fumarate reductase. Genetic studies indicated that the c-type cytochrome proteins, PpcH, OmcJ, OmcM, OmcV, MacA, OmcF, OmcI, and OmcQ, and the iron sulfur subunit of the cytochrome b/b6 complex, QcrA, are important for reduction of insoluble Fe(III)-oxides but do not appear to be important for Mn(IV) reduction. These results demonstrate that the physiology of Fe(III) reducing bacteria differ significantly during growth on insoluble electron and soluble electron acceptors and emphasizes the importance of c-type cytochromes in extracellular electron transfer in G. sulfurreducens. Geobacter sulfurreducens cells were grown with acetate (5 mM) provided as the electron donor and either Fe(III) oxide or Fe(III) citrate provided as the electron acceptor. Cells were harvested at mid-log and total RNA was extracted. Total RNA (0.5 μg) was amplified using the MessageAmp II-Bacteria Kit (Ambion, Foster City, CA) according to the manufacturers instructions. Ten micrograms of amplified RNA (aRNA) was chemically labeled with Cy3 (for the control or soluble electron acceptor condition) or Cy5 (for the experimental or insoluble electron acceptor condition) dye using the MicroMax ASAP RNA Labeling Kit (Perkin Elmer, Wellesley, MA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Project description:Whole-genome DNA microarray analysis of Geobacter sulfurreducens cells grown on Fe(III)-oxide or Mn(IV)-oxide versus cells grown on soluble Fe(III) citrate indicated that there were significant differences in transcription patterns during growth on the insoluble metal oxides compared to growth on soluble Fe(III). Many of the genes that appeared to be up-regulated during growth on the metal hydroxides were involved in electron transport. The most highly up-regulated genes for both conditions were omcS and omcT, which encode co-transcribed c-type cytochromes exposed on the outer surface of the cell that are known to be required for Fe(III) and Mn(IV)-oxide reduction. Other electron transport genes that were up-regulated on both insoluble metals included the gene coding for the outer membrane c-type cytochrome, OmcG, genes for the outer membrane proteins, OmpB and OmpC, and the gene that codes for the structural protein of electrically conductive pili, PilA. Genes that were up-regulated in cells grown on Fe(III)-oxide but not Mn(IV)-oxide, included outer membrane c-type cytochromes including OmcE, a putative DMSO reductase protein, and proteins from the cytochrome bc1 complex. Electron transport genes that were only up-regulated in Mn(IV)-oxide grown cells included the genes that code for the outer membrane c-type cytochromes, OmcZ and OmcB, the periplasmic c-type cytochrome, MacA, and fumarate reductase. Genetic studies indicated that the c-type cytochrome proteins, PpcH, OmcJ, OmcM, OmcV, MacA, OmcF, OmcI, and OmcQ, and the iron sulfur subunit of the cytochrome b/b6 complex, QcrA, are important for reduction of insoluble Fe(III)-oxides but do not appear to be important for Mn(IV) reduction. These results demonstrate that the physiology of Fe(III) reducing bacteria differ significantly during growth on insoluble electron and soluble electron acceptors and emphasizes the importance of c-type cytochromes in extracellular electron transfer in G. sulfurreducens. Geobacter sulfurreducens cells were grown with acetate (5 mM) provided as the electron donor and either Fe(III) oxide or Fe(III) citrate provided as the electron acceptor. Cells were harvested at mid-log and total RNA was extracted. Total RNA (0.5 M-NM-<g) was amplified using the MessageAmp II-Bacteria Kit (Ambion, Foster City, CA) according to the manufacturers instructions. Ten micrograms of amplified RNA (aRNA) was chemically labeled with Cy3 (for the control or soluble electron acceptor condition) or Cy5 (for the experimental or insoluble electron acceptor condition) dye using the MicroMax ASAP RNA Labeling Kit (Perkin Elmer, Wellesley, MA) according to the manufacturerM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions. RNA samples from three biological replicates were hybridized in duplicate on 12K Combimatrix antisense-detecting arrays. The experimental condition (DL1 grown with Mn(IV) oxide as acceptor) was labeled with cy5, the control condition (DL1 grown with Fe(III) citrate as acceptor) was labeled with cy3

Dataset Information

A novel Geobacteraceae-specific outer membrane protein J (OmpJ) is essential for electron transport to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides in Geobacter sulfurreducens.

Publications

A novel Geobacteraceae-specific outer membrane protein J (OmpJ) is essential for electron transport to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides in Geobacter sulfurreducens.

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